5 Reasons Why I Love Bikram Yoga

I was an avid yogini all during my twenties. I enjoyed my Hatha practice and then took Iyengar classes. I also took pregnant yoga and mommy and me yoga with my little ones. Yoga was a big part of my life. I felt the calm plus I loved noticing how flexible I became each time I went to class. I felt fit, energized and had a glow about me.

For some reason I got away from my practice and went full on into triathlon. Running, biking, swimming…push, push, push. I loved the adrenaline rush and crossing that finish line. There is nothing like feeling so accomplished and powerful. Unfortunately my yoga practice went “bye bye.” Little did I know incorporating yoga with my sport was crucial for preventing injury.

A knee injury inevitably happened, and I now took on a Bikram yoga practice to ease the pain and help prevent any future mishaps.

Why Bikram? Since I’m not an instructor, I can only speak from a student’s perspective. For me, I just love to sweat. I feel as if I’m getting all the toxins out of my body. After class, I feel refreshed and ready to take on the world from a center of peace.

Are you thinking of taking a Bikram class? Or are you already practicing? No matter what stage you are in the Bikram process, there are so many reasons to get your yoga on with Bikram.

Here are 5 reasons to love your Bikram practice:

1. Daily routine: The 26 poses are incorporated to promote profound healing power on your body and mind. The postures are repeated in every class which helps me develop a daily routine. I like knowing what postures are coming next in the sequence. Plus I notice improvement not only with my flexibility but with my mind each time.

2. Detox:  Moving your body in a room temperature of 105 degrees doesn’t sound appealing at first. In fact, during my first class, I wanted to escape after the first 10 minutes. Bikram flushes away the toxins of all the glands and organs of your body. It brings nourishment to every cell of your body so that each one can perform its function and keep your body healthy. Bikram Yoga also uses heat to further that cleansing process. When you sweat, impurities are flushed out of the body through the skin.

3. A new level of calm:  I’m so motivated to practice as much as possible because I end up feeling so amazing afterwards. There is this level of calm that I don’t experience in other yoga classes. Possibly it’s the detoxifying properties that help me focus and feel light in the mind. Before class I’m a hot mess with my to-do list, stressing about all sorts of things. After class, I feel at ease and focused, ready to tackle what the day has in store for me.

4. Bikram philosophy: Bikram Choudhury, the founder, swears that this type of yoga has injury-healing, emotion-strengthening, toxin-flushing, weight-managing, and career-extending effects. I want to get me all of this! Oh yes!

5. Better athlete:  Bikram Yoga's goal is general health, and Bikram Choudhury says that the heated studio helps deeper stretching and injury prevention, while reducing stress and tension. My recovery after runs and cycling, even with swimming laps has been remarkable. I feel even faster and work out more efficiently since I’ve incorporated Bikram in my fitness routine.

Bonus: Savasana with a cold, wet towel at the end of class. I live for this!

Double Bonus: You can buy those super cute Lululemon outfits to practice in. This makes my practice even more fun.